The Winged Dragon of Ra

The Winged Dragon of Ra, ラーの翼よく神しん竜りゅう Rā no Yokushinryū, lit: Winged God Dragon of Ra) is the character representation of the card "The Winged Dragon of Ra" in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime. Often referred to as the Sun or the Sun God, Ra is one of the three Egyptian Gods and among the most powerful monster spirits in the series. Within the context of Duel Monsters, Ra's card is regarded as the most powerful in the game.

Names	The Winged Dragon of Ra, ラーの翼よく神しん竜りゅう Rā no Yokushinryū) Winged God Dragon of Ra, The Sun Dragon God
Gender	Genderless
Race	Divine Beast, Dragon
Occupation	God
Origin	Yu-Gi-Oh! Chapter 160: "Marik Strikes" マリク動く！！, Mariku Ugoku!! lit: "Marik Moves!!" (April 28, 2000 tankōbon volume)
Alignment	Mixed
Age	Unknown at Least 3000 years
Created By	Kazuo Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 一雅)

Appearance

Ra is depicted as a massive golden dragon, seemingly composed of or encased in radiant golden metal. Its design combines saurian and avian features, giving it a unique and imposing appearance. The dragon's head and neck resemble a bird of prey, complete with feather-like ornaments on either side of its head and at its elbows. A jagged cone encircles its neck, enhancing its divine and fearsome look. Its wings are styled to appear feathered, and a prominent arch connecting its shoulder pauldrons serves as the source of its signature "Blaze Cannon" attack, which is channeled to its mouth through the feather-like head ornaments.

In the Memory World arc, Ra's design differs slightly: its beak is more bird-like and toothless, its tail is thinner, and it exhibits a form more consistent with its first official artwork. This artwork portrays Ra with a feather-like plume instead of the bony tail seen in its other depictions.

Ra has three distinct forms:

• Sphere Mode: An orb of golden metal, representing Ra in a dormant state, which unfolds into its Battle Mode.
• Battle Mode: The primary form, showcasing its full draconic might.
• Phoenix Mode: A fiery transformation where Ra becomes a giant flaming bird, retaining the general shape of its wings and head but engulfed in flames, embodying its godly wrath.

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  TCG Ra Card

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  Anime Illegal Ra Card

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  Manga Ra Card

Personality

"The Winged Dragon of Ra" is a manifestation of divine authority and overwhelming power, embodying the Sun's brilliance and destructive potential. It exudes an aura of majesty and dominance, befitting its status as one of the Egyptian God Cards.

Ra is unwaveringly loyal to its summoner, provided they have the ability and resolve to control its immense power. It respects strength and determination, often requiring its controller to demonstrate both in order to wield it effectively. Unlike "Obelisk the Tormentor," which exhibits brute force, or "Slifer the Sky Dragon," which represents cunning and defense, Ra epitomizes raw, transformative energy, shifting forms between Battle Mode, Sphere Mode, and Phoenix Mode depending on its needs.

Ra's godlike presence is accompanied by a silent, almost solemn demeanor, reflecting its celestial origins and unparalleled power. Its actions in Duels often emphasize its destructive capabilities, but it is not malicious; rather, it serves as an impartial force of reckoning, responding only to the will and intent of its summoner.

Biography

Ancient Egypt

The Winged Dragon of Ra, along with Obelisk the Tormentor and Slifer the Sky Dragon, is one of the three legendary Egyptian Gods. These divine monsters could only be summoned by the chosen Pharaoh, who is later revealed to be Atem.

Battle City

Three thousand years later (five thousand in the English dub), Maximillion Pegasus created Duel Monsters cards based on the Egyptian Gods. However, Ra's power was shrouded in mystery, as its Hieratic text was indecipherable. Pegasus transcribed this ancient text onto the card, which could only be activated under specific conditions. The text, visible only in Ra's light, needed to be recited to summon "The Winged Dragon of Ra."

The God Cards became imbued with the spirits of the gods, turning them into weapons of immense power. Recognizing the danger, Pegasus attempted to destroy them but ultimately entrusted them to the Egyptian supreme council of antiquities. The cards were buried in the Valley of the Kings. The Rare Hunters managed to steal "Slifer the Sky Dragon" and "The Winged Dragon of Ra," while "Obelisk the Tormentor" remained secure until Ishizu Ishtar gave it to Seto Kaiba to encourage him to host the Battle City tournament and retrieve the other God Cards.

Marik Ishtar, leader of the Rare Hunters, entered the tournament with "Slifer" and "Ra." Ra's power caused significant havoc during the tournament, smiting the arena when a counterfeit card was used, nearly killing Mai Valentine during a Shadow Game, and inflicting immense pain on Joey Wheeler in its Phoenix form. In the finals, Yami Yugi defeated Yami Marik and claimed "The Winged Dragon of Ra" as his prize.

Project R.A.

During the Duel between Yami Yugi and the Yako-possessed Gekko Tenma, Yami Yugi attempted to summon "The Winged Dragon of Ra" to eliminate "The Wicked Dreadroot." However, Yako countered the Summoning by activating "The Selection," negating Ra's appearance. Although Ra briefly manifested, it was immediately destroyed by the effect of "The Selection." Throughout the Duel, "The Wicked Avatar" was repeatedly described as possessing power that rivaled or surpassed that of Ra, further emphasizing its formidable nature.

Doma

To regain his memories, Yami Yugi presented the three God Cards to a stone tablet. However, Dartz used their power to summon The Great Leviathan. After the Leviathan absorbed Yugi's soul, the Egyptian Gods were summoned to aid him and defeated the Leviathan. Although Dartz later revived it in a different form, Yami ultimately vanquished it.

Pyramid of Light

Seto Kaiba acquired "Pyramid of Light" to counter the Egyptian Gods and forced Yami Yugi to summon them in a Duel. The trap removed the Gods from play, but Yugi eventually destroyed "Pyramid of Light," restoring the Gods, who combined their powers to destroy Anubis's "Theinen the Great Sphinx."

Memory World

In the Memory World arc, Pharaoh Atem relived his battles against Thief Bakura and Zorc Necrophades, summoning the Egyptian Gods multiple times. Though initially overpowered, Atem ultimately combined the Gods to summon The Creator God of Light, Horakhty, to defeat Zorc. Later, in the Ceremonial Battle, Atem used all three Gods against Yugi but ultimately lost the Duel, allowing him to pass into the afterlife.

Genex Tournament

Franz, a rogue card designer, stole a test copy of "The Winged Dragon of Ra" and used "Mound of the Bound Creator" to control it during the Genex Tournament. However, Jaden Yuki destroyed "Mound of the Bound Creator," freed Ra, and successfully used it to defeat Franz, much to Pegasus's surprise.

Powers and Statiistics

Tier: High 7-C | 2-C

Key: Manga | Anime

Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Flight, Transformation (Can change from his normal form to Sphere Mode or Immortal Phoenix depending on the situation), Light Manipulation, Holy Manipulation, Electricity Manipulation, Fusionism (with the other Gods), Dream Manipulation (Sent Pegasus a nightmare to torment him), Madness Manipulation (Those who used counterfeit copies of The God Cards were driven insane), Immortality (Type 1), Invulnerability, and Power Nullification (The Egyptian Gods are unaffected by anything less divine than them), Fire Manipulation, and Durability Negation via Phoenix Mode | All previous abilities, Absorption.

Attack Potency: Large Town level (Should be comparable to Obelisk the Tormentor, who generated a storm of this level) | Low Multiverse level (The Egyptian Gods could somewhat competed with Zorc, who is stronger than Exodia the Forbidden One who was capable of pushing Yubel with his force)

Speed: Unknown | Massively Hypersonic+ (Kept up with Zorc)

Lifting Strength: Unknown | Unknown

Striking Strength: Unknown | Low Multiverse level

Durability: Large Town level | Low Multiverse level (Took hits from Zorc)

Stamina: Limitless

Range: Several Tens of Meters (Given it's size), multiple Kilometers with Fire Balls.

Standard Equipment: Nothing Notable

Intelligence: Unknown

Weaknesses: None Notable | Ra is susceptible to the Pyramid of Light. The Power Nullification has several weaknesses in this version, including: not working on BFR and Power Nullification; is not based on a divine hierarchy; and unless the ability instantly kills the God, the effect is still around albeit temporarily. Temporary Power Nullification works permanently on the Gods. Can only be temporarily resurrected.